Abstract: A method and system for implementing access control in a computer system is disclosed. Synonyms associated with shareable security policies and policy functions are employed to encapsulate data from underlying data sources. By controlling access and contents of synonyms and their underlying security policies, fine-grained access control can be implemented for system data sources.

Abstract: A method is provided for optimizing data queries using switch predicates to determine which query execution plan or sub-plan (generated by a query optimizer) is executed. The method may be implemented for a query that has multiple possible forms of execution or outcomes depending on a run-time condition or element (e.g., the value associated with a variable). The query may be expanded, and the different possibilities may be addressed in different sub-queries of the expanded query (e.g., with the sub-queries being joined through a UNION operation). Switch predicates are added to one or more sub-queries to determine which one(s) will execute, based on the run-time condition. A separate query execution sub-plan may be generated for each sub-query and the sub-plans may be combined to form a master or overall plan that is executed at run-time. For example, a NULLIF predicate returns one set of data (e.g., a single row of a database table) if an associated variable has a non-null value and another set of data (e.g.